hawkes xx century

[kevuk]

can anyone give me info on my sax?
its a hawkes and sons with s/n 581xx
it has xx century above a bird(hawk??)standing on a globe
i think it is silver plated as it has blackish patches
it has mother of pearl keys including the rollers on the bottom B-Bb etc
any extra info would be appreciated

[amg]

This page may be of interest ...

http://www.shwoodwind.co.uk/Buying/XX_century_tenor.htm

[kevuk]

thanks. some really good stuff.
i should have said mines an alto!

[stitch]

Hi Kev
You've probably worked out by now that your sax was made before 1930, when Hawkes & Son merged with Boosey to form B & H. According to a contemporary ad, Chester Hazlett, the Saxophone leader in Paul Whiteman’s Orchestra played one.

There used to be a serial number look-up on B & H's old site, but seems to have disappeared from the new one. The XX Century was a pro horn of the time, and remains a fine instrument. The only caveat is that high pitch ones were also made - look for a sharp or flat symbol by the side F touch and/or on the neck. Flat means low pitch, which is what you want.

My first tenor was a XX Century, and I've been keen on them ever since (largely sentimental as I'm not good enough a player to appreciate the finer points, but it's nice to have a British product), recently acquiring a couple of alto-style neck tenors, plus several altos. H&S seems to have been quite innovative in their time, coming up with various keywork designs. I have an alto with quite the neatest octave mechanism I've seen, though it's only on one of them.